Letter: Collins betrayed citizens with concealed carry bill

Congressman Chris Collins showed us once again he doesn’t represent our 27th District.

Remote and arrogant – he holds no public meetings, disdains all who disagree – Collins seldom meets constituents, and votes against our stated will.

His latest outrage showed this once again. His vote for Concealed Carry Reciprocity (H.R. 38), which barely passed the House, puts us all at risk. If it becomes law, we must accept the licensing laws of less restrictive states, some of which don’t even require handgun licenses.

I, Richard, am a veteran, a lifelong hunter and a man who loves my guns. I, John, am also a veteran, but I put down my guns when I hung up my uniform. However we may disagree, we agree on this. Collins betrayed us with his vote. To allow concealed carry risks our safety and our lives.

We New Yorkers voted for strong laws to reduce gun deaths when we passed the SAFE Act. It bans new ownership of semiautomatic weapons, guns of war like the M-16s we used. The Siena Research Institute said in October 2015 that “(n)early three years after its enactment, support for the SAFE Act remains consistently strong…”

Knowing this, why did Collins vote for concealed carry here? Why does he favor people with hidden weapons entering our churches, schools and public buildings? By his vote, Collins shows he just doesn’t care. Republican or Democrat, now’s the time for someone else who does.